- Project Runeberg -  Sweden. Its People and its Industry /
469

(1904) Author: Gustav Sundbärg
Table of Contents / Innehåll | << Previous | Next >>
  Project Runeberg | Catalog | Recent Changes | Donate | Comments? |   

Full resolution (JPEG) - On this page / på denna sida - First part - IV. Education and Mental Culture - 10. Science - Botany, by H. Hesselman, Ph. D., Stockholm

scanned image

<< prev. page << föreg. sida <<     >> nästa sida >> next page >>


Below is the raw OCR text from the above scanned image. Do you see an error? Proofread the page now!
Här nedan syns maskintolkade texten från faksimilbilden ovan. Ser du något fel? Korrekturläs sidan nu!

This page has never been proofread. / Denna sida har aldrig korrekturlästs.

BOTANY.

469

The alteration in the conception of »species» produced by the evolution theory
is enunciated by Darwin, infused new life into systematics and assigned it new
tasks. In order the better to be able to study evolution, attention was turned
to multiform plant-genera or to those undergoing a process of evolution, and
extensive research has been made by Swedish botanists into such genera as Rubus,
Rumex, Viola, Hieracium, etc. During the last ten years a new direction has
been given to this branch of study, and the results of it promise well for the
solution of modern problems of systematics; one of the chief representatives of
this — the geographical-morphological — method is to be found in Sweden in
the person of S. Murbeck (born 1859).

Botanical geography, which had been in abeyance since the death of
Wahlenberg, was re-established on a fresh basis, the evolutionary-historical, in 1870, at
the discovery by A. G. Nathorst (born 1850) of a glacial flora of dwarf
birches, polar osiers, Dryas, etc., in the fresh-water clays of Skåne. That new
departure has been followed up since then, both by Nathorst himself and by
other investigators, for instance Gunnar Andersson (born 1865), R. Sernander
(born 1866), a. o. By studying plant-remains in clays, sand-deposits in rivers,
peat-mosses, and impressions of leaves in limestone tufas, scientists have been
able to trace the successive invasion of a large number of plant varieties, and
by collating botanical observations with the results of the geologists’ researches
into the geographical history of Scandinavia in the Quaternary Period, they
have been able to establish the fact that the evolution of vegetation in the
peninsula since the Glacial Epoch is to its chief features understood and known.
This is a proud result, the like of which is not to be found in any other
country.

During the latter half of the 19th century botanical research has, moreover,
extended beyond the borders of Sweden itself. In almost all the numerous Arotio
expeditions despatched from Sweden since 1837, there have been botanists on
board, who have not only studied the vegetation, but also the biology of the places
and waters visited. Among others who have distinguished themselves in that
department may be mentioned: Th. M. Fries, S. Berggren, A. G. Nathorst,
»nd F. R. Kjellman; the last-named more especially has made highly important
observations relative to the conditions of plant-life during the Arctic night and
at low temperature. Owing to the liberality of a Swedish medical man, A. F.
Regnell (1807/84), it has been possible for Swedish botanists to study tropical
flora, more especially that of South Brazil. Among those who have enjoyed the
benefit of Regnell’s munificence number C. A. M. Lindman (born 1856) and
G. Axon Malme (born 1864).

As the above account shows, Swedish botanists have, in the main, devoted
attention to special botany, the reason of that being traceable to the influence of
Limueus. During the last thirty years a change in that regard has taken place,
inasmuch as the field has been widened, to include vegetable anatomy,
morphology and physiology, each of which has had its special exponents. K. A. Agardh,
it is true, carried out anatomical and morphological researches, but his
interpretation of the observations he had made was obscured by the speculations in natural
philosophy in which he indulged. The first anatomist Sweden has produced is
F. W. C. Areschoug (born 1830), whose work has been directed towards showing
the connection existing between the structure of plants and the external conditions
bearing npon vegetation as a whole. Of his numerous followers it must suffice
to mention B. Jönsson (born 1849). Anatomical-physiological study in the
domain of botany has been carried on during the last few decades at the
Universities in Lund and Uppsala and at the Private University of Stockholm.
Morphological research has been pursued by F. W. C. Areschoug, and quite recently
physiology is being represented by specialists, particularly in Lund, by B. Jöns-

<< prev. page << föreg. sida <<     >> nästa sida >> next page >>


Project Runeberg, Mon Dec 11 23:50:41 2023 (aronsson) (download) << Previous Next >>
https://runeberg.org/sverig01en/0491.html

Valid HTML 4.0! All our files are DRM-free